Cubs: Team is finally developing pitching prospects
By Ryan Sikes
The Chicago Cubs relied heavily on the free-agent market for pitching help, but now they finally appear to be developing prospects.
When Theo Epstein first took over as President of Baseball Operations with the Chicago Cubs, it was well-known that the plan was to go heavy on the top hitting prospects in the draft and find pitching outside the organization. After all, the team was coming off a 71-91 record, and their top prospects included names like Brett Jackson, Josh Vitters, and Trey McNutt. Only Jackson saw time with the big league club during his tenure with the Cubs.
Javier Baez was taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft, but he was far from a proven commodity. Several drafts later, and the Cubs had a plethora of young talent with the likes of Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ, Albert Almora, and Baez. And while most had made their Major League debuts by 2015, the Cubs supplemented their crop of hitters with Jon Lester and John Lackey via free agency and Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, and Mike Montgomery via trade.
The moves were good enough to earn the Cubs their first World Series in 108 years, but the team is at a point now where they need to develop pitchers within the organization. Luckily for them, it appears that the team can finally hang their hat on several pitching prospects. Baseball America recently ranked the top prospects within the Cubs organization, and Brailyn Marquez, not Nico Hoerner, was atop the list.
The 20-year-old lefty was a 2015 international free agent signing and posted spectacular numbers between Single-A and High-A last season. In 22 starts, Marquez posted a 3.13 ERA while tossing 103.2 innings and striking out 128 and holding batters to a .224 average. He was promoted to Myrtle Beach in early August and dominated in an eight strikeout performance on August 20. Marquez has all the makings of the Cubs’ future ace with a fastball that tops out over 100 mph and an above-average curveball.
Let’s look at a few more pitching prospects that Cubs fans should be excited about:
The 24-year-old righty made his Cubs debut in June and tossed 4.0 innings of one-run ball against the Mets. He backed Tyler Chatwood‘s solid start to secure a Cubs’ 7-4 victory and struck out five batters in the process. Alzolay had a 4.41 ERA at Triple-A Iowa in 2019. He held batters to a .215 average and struck out 91 batters in 65.1 innings. Although limited, his big-league experience likely gives him an inside track for the open fifth starter spot next season.
The Cubs’ first-round draft pick in 2019 came highly-regarded out of Fresno State with starter potential. He made six starts for short-season Eugene after being drafted and posted a 2.25 ERA in 12.0 innings of work. It’s certainly a small sample size, but he held batters to a .171 average. His 14 walks during that time are worrisome, so he’ll need to show consistency in 2020. Still, there’s a lot to like about his tailing fastball that tops out in the high 90s.
The 24-year-old lefty was recently added to the Cubs’ 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and was perhaps the most unlucky prospect within the organization last year. Steele made 11 starts after returning from a torn oblique and posted a 5.59 ERA with an 0-6 record but displayed disgusting fastball velocity. It will take some time for Steele to regain form, but it’s encouraging that he posted a 2.31 ERA across three levels of the minors before the injury.
I made a compilation of Justin Steele fastballs, mostly because my boss @BleacherNation loves few things more than some plus late life. And these, which run up to 95 mph, seriously feature that. pic.twitter.com/blrNHHdI7j
— Cubs Prospects - Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) December 3, 2019
Miller is a compelling case in that he was a breakout star with Double-A Tennessee, posting a 2.56 ERA in 15 starts, with 80 strikeouts in 88.0 innings while displaying terrific command. He was promoted to Triple-A Iowa in early July but could not perform on the same level, as he posted a 7.58 ERA in 11 starts while allowing opponents to hit .304 off him. It was the first time that Miller had struggled in his minor league career, and his stint with Iowa could not have gone worse. He’ll look to rebound at Triple-A next season with the intent of being called up at some point, whether it be in the rotation or bullpen.
Thompson put himself on the map in 2019 with an outstanding performance across 21 starts in Single-A South Bend. The 23-year-old posted a 3.06 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 94.0 innings and allowed opponents to hit just .239 off him. His command was a bit shaky at times, but his fastball topped out as high as 100 mph while developing an above-average changeup. Thompson, arguably, could have gone higher in the draft, but he had Tommy John surgery right before the Cubs called his name in the 11th round.
Next. Internal candidates for the second base position. dark
With both Lester and Jose Quintana set to become unrestricted free agents after next season, the Cubs will heavily depend on their pitching prospects to take the next step to contribute. An early projection has Alzolay slotted for the fifth starter slot. Still, there are plenty of opportunities for the above prospects to have a much more significant role in the future rotation.